| Accelerando - Achieved by gradually accelerating or getting faster |
| Alternate picking - Every other note is played with a downstroke and every other note is played with an upstroke. Don't cheat, keep it strict ! |
| Arpeggio - Notes from from a chord played one at a time. In other words a way to include chords in single note playing! |
| Artificial Harmonic - Hold down a note on the neck with left hand, and use the right hand to lightly touch a point on the string, then pluck the side of the string that is closer to the bridge. This technique is used to produce harmonic tones that are otherwise inaccessible. To guitar players, this technique is also known as a pinch harmonic. |
| Bpm - Beats per minute. Defines the "click speed" of the metronome |
| Barré chords - Are played with a "barred finger", usually done with the index finger of the left hand. The first barré chord the beginner might come across is usually F. |
| Chromatics -
12-note scale including all the semitones of the octave |
| Chicken Scratching - The strings are being "scratched" (= strummed) with the pick, while the left hand is damping the strings (= touching the strings lightly). Produces a rhythmic effect in the style of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. |
| Chicken picking - A combination of right hand pick and fingers, usually associated with country music, but also used by rock guitarists like Zakk Wylde and Steve Morse. |
| Double stop - two notes played simultaneously |
| Drop D tuning - Tune down the low (=thick) E string to D. This tuning facilitates "powerchords", it also produces a heavier sound. From low to high: D - A - D - G - B - E |
| Hexatonic scale - A scale with six notes per octave (a pentatonic scale has five notes per octave). |
| Hybrid picking - The pick is in combination with finger(s). |
| Legato - Is obtained on the guitar by using strictly hammer-ons and pull-offs. Some of the legato examples on freelicks.net are played purely with hammer-ons (hit the strings really hard!), this is a technique favoured by legato player Allan Holdsworth. |
| Open chords - These chords usually contain open strings (not fretted with left hand). Often the first kind of chords the beginner will learn (D - C - Am etc). The opposite of barré- or power chords. |
| Palm mute - the string(s) is being damped with right hand palm, close to the guitar's bridge. |
| Pedal tones - Notes that constantly repeat in a pattern. This technique is favored by neoclassical guitarist such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore etc. |
| Pinch harmonic - The thumb slightly catches the string after it is picked, creating a high pitched sound in any position. Usually requires heavily distorted amplifier settings. Pinch harmonics are also known as artificial harmonics. |
| Pre-bend - The note is bend before it is struck with the pick. Make sure the note is bend to the right pitch. |
| Ritardando - Achieved by gradually delaying or slowing down the tempo. |
| Slur - To glide over (a series of notes) smoothly without a break, often used in combination with legato |
| Staccato - Is obtained on the guitar by using strictly alterntate picking. |
| Sweeping - The pick is swept through the strings in a down- or upwoard motion. This technique is used mainly used with arpeggios. |
| Syncopate - To modify the rhythm by stressing or accenting a weak beat (purposely playing off beat). |
| To transpose - A lick in A minor played on the seventh fret will be played on the ninth fret if transposed to B minor. |
| Tapping - The use of right hand fingers on the fretboard, I recomend the middle finger, so that you don't have to put down the pick. |
| Triple stop - three notes played simultaneously |
| Vibrato - Achieved by bending the string up and down. This technique is crucial to the guitarist's tone and originality. |
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